Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-11-27
ATLANTA GOES WET.
GRORGIhS CAPITAL CITY VOTES
AGAINST PROHIBITION.
A Peculiarly Bitter Fight for supremacy
The Negro Vote the Bone Of Conten-
tiou-Women Workers in the
Field, 60.
M telerraph 10 the pIspatch. ]

ATLANTA. GA, November 26.-After
the most heated contest on record in the
State of Georgia, Atlanta to-day voted
against prohibition. The fight has been
a peculiarly bitter one. The Piedmont
Exposition did not close until the 22d OF
October, and both sides agreed that du-
ring the progress OF the exposition no
thing whatever should be done by either
side, as it would MARI the unity OF the
citizensin their cnthusiastics support Ofthe
exposition. This over, both sides plunged
into the fight with wonderful activity.
In two days after the exposition had
been closed tho fight was on the city IN
all its fury, and excited more interest
and activity than had ever been shown
IN campaign before in this city. For
over a month citizens have been engaged
in the contest meetings have been held
almost every night, and local speakers
and foreign statesmen have stumped the
county from almost every curbstOne IN
the city and every cross road IN the
county. Earlyin the campaign the Pro-
hib.tionists leased the largest warehouse
III the city and fitted it up with seating
capacity Tor 5000 people. Almost nightly
that building has been filled, and such
scenes OF wild enthusiasm were rarely wit
messed. Among the prominent PTOhibi-
tion speakers who plunged fearlessly into
the tight early 10 thee campaign were
United States Senator 4. II. Colqultt
and Hon. n. w. Grady. These were as
sisted by almost every minister IN the
city, who preached prohibition from
their pulpits Sunday after Sunday to
deeply-lnterested congregations. Promi-
nent among the preachers who led tho
prohibition fight IN Atlanta were Rev.
Drs. j. b. Hawthorne, ii. c. Morrison,
and j. W. Lee. These three ministers
entered into the fight with wonderful
zeal A; spoke night after night and i'll al
most every precinct In the county. The
most prominent leaders OF the Ants
were Senator Joseph l.. Brown, Captain
L. j. Howell, and Captain j. 3. Good
win. Both sides had full campaign funds,
and managed their respective causes for
all they were worth.
The negro vote was the bone of con-
tention and balance OF power. Each side
made the most strenuous cndcayors to
secure 1t in every way possible. The
negroes were considerably divided on
the subject, though the majority Of them
voted with the Observation-Disclosures. One
of the features OF the contest has been the
active part taken 10y many women of the
city. Several OF the churches organized
committees from among the female
members, who took an active part in the
campaign They organized the women
of the cOlored churches into societies
and met with them and prayed with
them day after day. The result of their
work was shown to-day by the appear
ance of large numbers of women at tine
polls with blue badges. They served hot
coffee and sandwiches at every polling
place and conducted prayer-meetings
and singing crusadcs in the open air.
Fulton county, in which Atlanta is To-
Gated, voted two years ago on the same
question and went for prohibition by
majority of 22S ont of about 5000 votes.
The registration this time exceeds that
of last year by 1000 votes, and this cx
cess gave doubtful figures for either
side to estimate ON during the cam
paigu. The principal fight made on
prohibition during the campaign was
that it did not prohibit, and
that intoxicating drinks could be
openly purchased in a number of places
throughout the city which paid taxes to
the United States Government for the
sale OF whiskey. Thousands of gallons
have been sent in each month from cities
around Atlanta, from which il was almost
as easy to get jug as it was at the bars
in the city. The Ants claim that prohi-
bition injured the city, which was yield
ing $50, 900 wear in whiskey licenses
without decreasing in the slightest the
amount of wliskey sold in the city. The
Prohibitionists, on the other hand, claim
cd that Atlanta has neyerhad prohibition;
that while it was so voted two years ago,
the licenses then existing did not expire,
some Of them, until almost a year ago.
and that since that time the domestic
wine clause in the lOcal-OptiOn bill allow
ed many places in the city by which the
law could be easily evaded. This was,
however, remedied 10y the last Legisla-
ture, which put license Of SlO,0OO on
all wine-rooms, which license will 60
into effect after January LIST next. The
Prohibitionists claimed that with the
wine rooms out of the city there would
be no places for easy evasion OF the law
if the officers would properly enforce It,
The result to-day shows the public opin-
ion on this subject.
The official vote OF the county puts
the Prohibition majority at 1,l22
ont OF a total vote of $500. There are
sixteen precincts in the county. of which
six are in the city. The Ants TO-DAY
carried every city precinct, and all but
one of those in the county. In the last
election. two years ago, the Prohibition
lists carried the county by 800, and the
Ants the city by 500, leaving geo ma
iority for the Prohibitiouists. This was
reversed to-day by the Ants carrying
the county by 300 and the city 10y 500.
The most intense excitement prevails III
the CITY t.. night, and the Ants are lubi-
LIANT. The ProhibtioDists concede the
victory and accept the result IN good
hunor. No trouble whatever occurred
at any of the ballotingplaces and the
best of feeling was manifested through
ont the day.
Additional PartfcuIars-Infere
scenes and Enctdents.
Especial telegram % tho Dispatch.l
ATLANTA. November 2G.-Thc enthu-
siam of both sides to the fight here to-
day was phenomenal The Prohibi-
tionists had lunch-house in each ward,
where both sides were supplied with
lunches, the white women serving the
white voters and the colorcd women the
colored voters. The Ants had also
lunch-houses, but the ladies were not
there. The ladies held an all-night and
all-day prayer-meeting in the Lloyd
Street Methodist church. and a prayer
meeting all day in the First Baptist
church.
While Colonel Evan p. Howell was a
decided Anti, IL. w. Grady was an in
tense Prohibitionist, but this difference
has not estranged these two editors.
Senator Colquitt was an active worker
for Prohibition. Senator Brown, VINO